The surveillance of ground topography is well known in the art. It is frequently the case that an aircraft or a satellite includes an image capture device such as a CCD. In ground surveillance it is highly desirable to detect whether there has been a material failure in a man-made object such as a road, a pipeline, an electrical grid, or other man-made structures of practical interest. When detected, a determination is made if remedial action must be taken. Often times a visual inspection of ground topography is provided by a land-based crew that traverses a n a rea by vehicle or foot, to determine if there is a material failure. Airborne photographic systems can also be used for capturing images of adjacent areas. These images are then reviewed to determine if there is a material failure.